A Mysterious Encounter and a Shifting Identity

You, citizen, approach! the Investigator commanded, his expression etched with vigilance.

It was only natural for Liu Xia to catch his attention so quickly, for this was a secluded area where no one, save for its residents, would ever venture for a stroll.

‘The power directs me to this very area; I cannot afford to let any suspicious individual slip by!’ the Investigator thought, his hand already drifting towards the pistol holstered at his hip.

A tremor ran through Liu Xia’s heart upon hearing the Investigator’s voice.

She hesitated, halting in her tracks, yet did not immediately turn around.

Coupled with the conspicuously ill-fitting clothes she wore, these factors only solidified the Investigator’s suspicion that this person was undoubtedly hiding something.

Consequently, the Investigator’s tone grew increasingly stern.

“Did you not hear me? I am an Investigator from the Temple of Law! Ordinary citizens are obligated to cooperate with the Temple’s investigations!”

Liu Xia sighed inwardly, realizing from his demanding tone that she would likely be unable to bluff her way out of this situation.

A sense of unease settled within the young woman, for with her body now transformed, she hadn’t yet had the chance to properly examine her current appearance.

While she had, for the time being, reverted to a human form, if her current appearance bore too close a resemblance to a man’s, wouldn’t her deception be immediately exposed?

After all, remembering a suspect’s appearance was an indispensable fundamental skill for any Investigator.

Reluctantly, Liu Xia turned around and, following the Investigator’s instruction, slowly approached him with her hands raised.

The young woman nervously watched the Investigator’s expression, resolving to flee immediately should any hint of impropriety cross his face.

However, the Investigator’s reaction defied Liu Xia’s expectations; his initial wary gaze, upon recognizing her features, abruptly morphed into astonishment, then settled into a cautious yet somewhat benevolent expression.

‘?’ A question mark bloomed in Liu Xia’s mind.

‘What kind of reaction is this?’

“Investigator… sir?” Liu Xia inquired, a touch of trepidation lacing her voice.

The Investigator snapped back to attention.

“Ah… ah! Hello, Miss! I am Investigator Liao from District 13.

My apologies for disturbing you, I just have a few questions; simply answer them as best you can!”

Liu Xia felt a wave of bewilderment at the Investigator’s sudden shift to a friendly demeanor, though a conjecture swiftly formed in her mind.

‘Could it be… that I’m very beautiful now? If so, then it all makes sense.’

As the gender assigned to portray goddess idols and bestow [Blessings] during various labor rituals, women were internally stratified, much like Holy Knights, with ranks ranging from Black Iron to Gold.

Generally, the more beautiful a girl, the greater her inherent talent.

Such individuals could advance to higher ranks, providing more potent [Blessing] power, and were typically protected by formidable Holy Knights.

The most powerful women within the Gold rank were even revered as Saintesses, their status more exalted than that of top-tier Holy Knights, holding sway over the very core of human civilization’s power.

“Um… if you don’t mind me asking, what brings you to such a secluded place at this hour?”

Investigator Liao’s question broke through Liu Xia’s thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

“W-well… I… I was just taking a walk here…” Liu Xia stammered, her words tripping over each other, betraying her ineptitude at lying.

Although Investigator Liao maintained a pleasant demeanor towards Liu Xia, now adorned with the appearance of a beautiful young woman, he still raised an eyebrow, sensing something amiss with her response.

Nevertheless, Investigator Liao suppressed his internal doubts and pressed on.

“Then why are you wearing such oversized clothing…? It looks… like something a man would wear?”

Liu Xia’s mind went blank at his words, her heart pounding with extreme nervousness.

‘Why? Because I instinctively stole a man’s clothes to wear, of course! After all, my self-perception is still that of a man.’

However, this was a truth she couldn’t utter.

Thus, Liu Xia’s face flushed crimson as she stammered, “This is… this is… my boyfriend’s clothes…”

Having uttered those words, Liu Xia was overwhelmed by intense shame; for a man to claim he had a boyfriend caused his self-esteem to quiver violently.

“Boyfriend? Why would your boyfriend want you to wear…” Investigator Liao began to press further, but then, his pupils constricted, and a knowing smile spread across his face.

It was an expression that clearly conveyed, “Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Seeing his reaction, Liu Xia’s heart leaped into her throat.

‘I’m finished; it seems I’m about to be exposed!’ The young woman was already poised to turn and flee.

To Liu Xia’s surprise, Investigator Liao’s subsequent words brought her instant relief, nearly causing her to collapse onto the ground.

“I understand.

However, this area is quite secluded and somewhat dangerous, so it would be best if you didn’t linger here… you should head home early!” Investigator Liao advised kindly, though his words left Liu Xia feeling utterly perplexed.

Nevertheless, it appeared she had successfully bluffed her way through, which was certainly a boon for Liu Xia.

With a nod, she quickly departed, eager to escape the vicinity as swiftly as possible.

“Wait! Just a moment!” Investigator Liao’s voice rang out once more, startling Liu Xia, whose back was to him, causing cold sweat to bead on her face.

“W-w-w-what… what is it?” Liu Xia’s nervousness was palpable, yet Investigator Liao seemed unconcerned.

“Nothing, I just wanted to record your name,” he said with a smile.

“Liu… Liuxia!” With that, Liuxia fled as if on wings, leaving Investigator Liao behind, watching her departure with a peculiar smile.

“Liuxia, is it? What a lovely name…” Investigator Liao murmured, repeating the name that differed significantly in pronunciation from “Liu Xia,” shaking his head with a chuckle as he resumed his inspection of the scene.

As he continued his investigation, he mused over the recent encounter, clicking his tongue in wonder.

“These young people nowadays really know how to have fun… it’s completely incomparable to our era…”

Indeed, just moments ago, Investigator Liao had been quite perplexed by Liuxia’s peculiar behavior.

However, his sharp eye, honed by years of criminal investigation, had keenly perceived the near-naked state beneath Liu Xia’s rather concealing yet ill-fitting men’s attire.

In that instant, a realization dawned upon him.

As an experienced Investigator in local District 13, he had encountered a myriad of bizarre civil cases.

“This must be that game, right… where you have your girlfriend go out without anything underneath, just wearing an outer layer, and wander around the streets…” Investigator Liao muttered to himself, not pausing his search.

“In that case, coming to such a secluded place makes perfect sense.

Perhaps the boyfriend wanted to play this game but didn’t actually want his adorable girlfriend to attract unwanted attention?”

Investigator Liao advanced step by step towards the bush where Liuxia had previously fainted.

‘Strange, the goblin scent trail ends right here…’

‘Yet, compared to the surroundings, the scent is strongest only here, as if it vanished in this very spot…’

The investigative Authority granted by the Temple of Law had blessed Investigator Liao with a beast-like sense of smell, which had always proven infallible when dealing with lower-tier crimes.

However, today, it seemed to have failed him against the recently corrupted Liu Xia, allowing her to slip away right under his nose!

‘How could this be?’ Investigator Liao pondered deeply, when suddenly a clue flashed through his mind!

This particular clue, initially obscured by the pervasive goblin scent that filled the air moments ago, now stood out with remarkable clarity, especially with all other traces having vanished.

‘Wait, I remember now! That young lady just now, she also seemed to carry a distinct trace of goblin scent, didn’t she? Though it was dissipating, it was noticeably stronger than the ambient odor!’

‘That young lady must definitely be connected to the goblins!’

Investigator Liao’s gaze sharpened incrementally as he set off, pursuing Liuxia in the direction she had departed.